Table of contents for 1903 in Auto Express

IT makes perfect sense that Dacia is the first brand to come up with an interesting and tangible take on what could be the next big breakthrough in small cars – the £13k EV. The company most well known for affordable small models and, lately, increasingly larger ones, is a firm Auto Express favourite for its ability to offer appealing options for those on a budget. As such, its latest concept – the Hipster – is one that should be taken seriously. Just weeks ago, a plea from car makers was fired to the European Union, asking for the relaxing of regulations to kick-start profitable development of a new breed of small electric cars for urban use. Within days, the EU replied positively, with European Commission president Ursula von der…

DACIA’S Jogger is also getting a makeover, with much the same details as the Sandero (left). It’s the firm’s most versatile vehicle, and that’s preserved after mainly cosmetic upgrades: new black cloth seats on the two base trims with blue denim on Journey editions, plus a new steering wheel that should feel comfier. The big news is an upgraded hybrid powertrain, boosting the Hybrid 140 to the Hybrid 155. The 1.6-litre petrol is replaced by a 1.8-litre unit, and a bigger, 1.4kWh battery feeds its 49bhp motor. Total output is 153bhp and 170Nm of torque, so not only do buyers get more punch, but efficiency also climbs to 61mpg, with 104g/km of CO2. The TCe 110 petrol engine, coupled to a six-speed manual, continues. Exterior changes include a sleeker grille,…

AUDI hasn’t been shy about its forthcoming C-segment EV, but finally we can say for certain that this won’t just be an A3-style hatchback with an all-electric powertrain. The new car is looking like an EV reboot of the iconic Audi A2. These first images of a production A3 e-tron prototype reveal a shape that’s not dissimilar to the VW ID.3 and Cupra Born. But look closer and they already reveal the new Audi EV will have a less upright, more futuristic shape. There are more than a few nods to the ultra-lightweight A2 first introduced in the early 2000s. As you can see from these spyshots, he most obvious reference to the A2 is the car’s cab-forward silhouette, with a steeply angled windscreen and short bonnet helping with the…

YES, it’s another new Chinese brand offering a confusing array of names and numbers, but Jaecoo is worth paying attention to. Along with sister firm Omoda, and its parent company Chery, Jaecoo is making serious inroads into the UK, with the Jaecoo 7 SUV – its first model – among the UK’s top 10 sellers in August. Now the company’s range is expanding with the Jaecoo 5, a more traditionally shaped SUV version of the Omoda 5 crossover, which is already on sale. Coming either in full-electric E5 form or with the 1.6-litre petrol driven here, the 5 sits neatly between rivals: bigger than a Nissan Juke or Skoda Kamiq, but not as big as their Qashqai or Karoq brothers. On paper, things look impressive. The top-spec £28,000 Jaecoo 5…

COMPROMISE is often the name of the game when it comes to performance cars; you usually have to give up something – whether that be comfort, practicality or, most commonly, price – if you wish to transform an everyday motor into a hardcore driving machine. This isn’t the case with Skoda vRS models, however, because thanks to the Czech manufacturer’s focus on value and everyday performance, this speedy sub-brand has struck a chord with British buyers in particular. Once little more than the butt of a bad joke, Skoda now outsells the likes of Renault, MG and even Tesla in the UK, and one in 10 new examples is registered wearing the vRS badge. So to find out what vRS is doing right for the Skoda brand, we headed deep…

WHILE the Citroen e-C3 offers so much for the money that it was worthy of our Car of the Year prize in 2024, the internal-combustion-engined versions – although strong – can’t quite live up to the EV’s heights. The C3 boasts many qualities, however, regardless of what sort of motor powers it along the road; interior space, comfort and value for money are all very compelling reasons to choose the chunky Citroen over other supermini rivals. ENGINES & PERFORMANCE WHILE the all-electric e-C3 offers impressive value for money by EV standards, the pair of petrol models have even more appeal for the budget-conscious buyer – particularly those who can’t benefit from cheap home charging. A 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo is available in two forms: at its simplest, it’s combined with a…

HAVING bid farewell to the KGM Actyon, a much smaller replacement has found its way onto my driveway – the new MINI JCW. Those three letters stand for ‘John Cooper Works’, signalling that this is the hottest version of the MINI Cooper. And while there’s also a pure-electric JCW option, we’ve gone for a petrol-powered hot hatch. The electric JCW and our car might share the same styling (aside from the prominent and rather excellent central-exit exhaust), but underneath they sit on different platforms. The MINI Electric uses a specific architecture, while the F66-generation MINI JCW with a petrol engine is based on a revised version of the previous-generation car’s platform. Our car is very much an evolution of the old model, with the same BMW-derived engine sending power to…

AS the season changes and the weather becomes cooler, we should all take a few minutes to check our cars’ tyre pressures. Colder temperatures mean the air in the tyre will contract, dropping the pressure by around 2 PSI for every 10 degree C fall. Left unchecked, this will result in higher fuel consumption, wayward handling and increased tyre wear. Rather than queuing for the air pump at a service station and rooting through your change pot for a pound coin, investing in your own electric pump will make the task much easier. While battery-operated cordless compressors are falling in price and improving in performance, many motorists will prefer the reliability of a pump powered by a car’s 12V socket – which will ensure you have enough power to inflate…

EVERYONE is talking about how to make the affordable electric car. But talk – like everything to do with Dacia – is cheap, so the Romanian value brand has sprung into action to deliver the Hipster, its vision of a £13,000 EV. The chunky cube measures just three metres long but crams four seats into its flexible interior. And those tough 4x4 looks feed through to the interior: the driving position is roughly the same height as the Bigster SUV’s, to give occupants a reassuring view out. But the most compelling stat is that the Hipster weighs just 800kg, a whopping 20 per cent reduction on Dacia’s 3.7m-long Spring EV. Some of that saving comes from a right-sized battery – the Hipster would be good for about 100km (62 miles),…

WE’VE been drip-fed details about the all-new Porsche Cayenne Electric for months, but finally we’ve been shown its hi-tech cabin. The BMW iX-rivalling SUV, which is promised to be more luxurious than any Porsche before it, will boast a heavily digitised interior that features several world firsts in terms of its incredible screens. Even better, this technology will be rolled out on all future cars from the brand. The main Flow Display is the most dramatic of these digital features. It doesn’t simply occupy the central space in the dashboard, but it is also bent laterally at its base to follow the contours of the console. This is the first use of a centre console touchscreen with a sharply curved element, although it’s not the first contoured OLED unit in…

IN a win for common sense, Tesla has substituted a proper indicator stalk for its fiddly buttons. The latest Model 3 may have only launched last year, and the newly updated Model Y this year, but Tesla has just given both EVs a big upgrade. Each gets more range, new technology and something we have been crying out for – that conventional indicator stalk. Thanks to upgraded battery packs, the Model 3 now has a 323-mile range in the entry-level Rear-Wheel Drive, 466 miles in the singlemotor Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, 445 in the dual-motor version and 355 in the Performance. This represents increases of up to 30 miles across the line-up. The Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive also goes from 364 miles up to 390. Pricing remains unchanged,…

THERE’S not quite a full-blown revolution going on at DS, but the French brand is certainly changing things up this year. It’s going from simply numbering its models to a new ‘No’ naming strategy and the latest to benefit is the No4, an updated version of the old DS 4. That’s not the most important aspect of the new No4, however, because for the first time, DS’s family hatch is offered with pure-electric power. DS says that gives the No4 an advantage against rival premium hatches such as the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes A-Class, because none of them offers an EV. What it also does is open up the DS No4 to new rivals. Priced from £36,995, the EV targets high-spec versions of the Volkswagen ID.3 and…

WITH the i20, Hyundai created yet another seriously solid performer within its already talented line-up. There’s plenty to like here for supermini buyers; cabin space is among its biggest strengths, but the i20 is also furnished with plenty of big-car tech throughout its range; all models get LED headlights, a digital instrument cluster and a reversing camera as standard, while a heated steering wheel and front seats, wireless smartphone charging and a Bose sound system feature on higher-level models. Yet despite all of this, the i20 has never quite ranked right at the top of the supermini class. For all its strengths, there have always been one or two areas where it can’t quite compete with the best in the sector. In an area of the market where value for…

MAZDA CX-30 AFTER taking the Mazda CX-30 for a short family getaway, I began to wonder why the brand is still a left-field option in the UK. While the CX-30 isn’t the only good-to-drive small SUV, it feels like a sensible car that enthusiasts wouldn’t be afraid to buy. The cabin is lovely, too, and I think it does a superb job of balancing traditional buttons and dials with modern screens. But I did find two flaws during my trip. First, the 422-litre boot wasn’t quite up to catering for my family of four and two weeks’ luggage, so a few bags had to sit on people’s laps. Secondly, the speedlimit warning had a habit of thinking UK motorways have an 80mph limit. It also liked to think that there…

FIRST TEST LED Lenser P7R Pro Price: £159.95 Rating: Contact: ledlenser.co.uk ALL of us will have used a torch at some time for working on a car, perhaps to look for a lost bolt in the depths of an engine bay, or to help you see while dealing with a breakdown in the dark. While the lights on our phones mean we always have easy illumination at our fingertips, an LED torch is a superior tool for most jobs in and around your car. LED Lenser’s newly revamped range of torches is of top quality – but this comes at a price. The P7R Pro is the most interesting of the line-up, because it has several innovations and is small enough to fit in a pocket, or a car’s glovebox or…

“INTELLIGENCE LAST WEEK SUGGESTED ‘WID ESPREAD’ PRE-REGISTERING OF EVS WILL BE TAKING PLACE” AS we head into the final quarter of 2025, some brands will be eyeing their electric-vehicle sales and how close they are to Government targets. And that means there should be some enticing deals around. For every main car company, 28 per cent of its UK sales in 2025 have to be EVs to avoid hefty fines. But over the first eight months of the year, the actual figure was well off the target, at 21.9 per cent. Although the most recent August figures were as high as 26.5 per cent, that’s not going to drag things up fast enough. Within that overall average, there will be winners and losers; some brands are selling well over 30…

IF you prefer to holiday on the open road, rather than in a check-in queue, the Land Rover Defender might appeal. But, it’s expensive, so here we’ve picked three cars for the cost of a new Defender 90. One will take you off the beaten track, one is a perfect sports car, and the other an urban EV. 1 HONDA e – £11,884 BEFORE you sort a rugged 4x4 and sporty convertible, what you need is an efficient runaround for urban driving – but efficient doesn’t have to mean boring. The Honda e might not have a long range – the other two cars here will very happily take care of that – but it’s a fascinating example of a brand going all out in terms of tech and build…

MUCH as I love Formula One, it’s nowhere near as productive, cost-effective, flexible and entertaining as it needs to be in the mid-2020s. During most Grand Prix weekends, which last three largely uneventful days and nights, there’s typically only one and a half hours of actual F1 racing. Some under-performing, serial losing teams – each with around 1,000 employees doing heaven knows what – have to massively up their game. And their drivers need and deserve more time and opportunity, and to, er, race in more diverse fleets of machines. F1 reckons its fan base is currently around 800 million folk. Trouble is, they don’t witness enough wheel-to-wheel action. Think 24 Grand Prix weekends annually, comprising just a few qualifying laps (most of which provide little or no entertainment until…

DACIA is upgrading its Sandero supermini and more rugged Stepway spin-off with hybrid power, a minor facelift and new safety features. In a bid to help the model remain Europe’s best-selling car, Dacia will fit the Stepway with the Hybrid 155 drivetrain from the Bigster. This combines a 108bhp 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 49bhp electric motor and an electric starter/generator. Although it arrives first in the Stepway, electrification will also filter through to the Sandero hatch in short order. However, Dacia is refusing to say whether it will be the Hybrid 155, or another smaller-displacement hybrid. The Sandero’s base petrol engine – a 999cc turbo – also gets a makeover, squeezing another 10bhp out of its three cylinders for 99bhp in total. But the revisions aren’t limited to…

LAND Rover is about to reveal its all-new ‘baby’ Defender, with all-electric powertrains and a chunky, rugged design – and our exclusive image shows what we expect it to look like. The company has toyed with a smaller version of its 4x4 for years, but only now is the new car close to being introduced. Designed to sit in the company’s range underneath the existing Defender in both price and stature, the newcomer will in effect be a replacement for the Discovery Sport. The new model is critical for JLR, joining a big-selling segment at a time when the company’s profits have been hit from every angle. Prototypes have been spotted testing in near production form, giving us our first look at how Land Rover’s designers will transform the Defender…

SKODA has bolstered its Enyaq electric SUV line-up with a new, value-focused SE L 85, which qualifies for the Government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG). Starting at £41,980, before the £1,500 Band 2 discount is applied, the newcomer lowers the entry point for buyers wanting the extended driving distance (up to 359 miles on the WLTP tests) of the 77kWh model. A 282bhp electric motor allows 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds. The new car also supports DC rapid charging at speeds of up to 135kW, allowing a 10-80 per cent charge in 28 minutes. Despite its value positioning, the SE L 85 doesn’t skimp on kit. Features include 19-inch Proteus silver alloys, a 13-inch touchscreen, heated front seats and steering wheel, tri-zone climate control and a power-opening tailgate with Skoda’s Virtual Pedal…

“With all the hardware mounted low and ahead of the driver, this car majors on functionality” HAS the unrelenting popularity of SUVs finally plateaued? Are buyers becoming wise enough to the inherent compromises in space and efficiency to divert their hard-earned cash into something boxier and more family friendly? Kia is hoping so, and its answer is this: the all-new PV5 Passenger. It’s based on the PV5 Cargo, and is an alternative to Volkswagen’s retro-styled ID. Buzz, as well as to seven-seat SUVs such as the Peugeot E-5008 and Hyundai Ioniq 9. Pre-orders are open now, and deliveries are due before the year’s end. Measuring 4,695mm long, the PV5 is 17mm shorter than the base Buzz, and while a choice of five and seven-seat layouts will be available, there’s no…

DOES a family SUV need to do 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds? That’s what the Tesla Model Y Performance is capable of. It means this all-electric SUV, with its generous cabin space and huge boots both front and rear, has the chops to keep pace with an Aston Martin Vantage in a traffic-light Grand Prix. All the more impressive for £61,990. But we doubt many shoppers are comparing the specs of a Model Y and a beautiful British GT when considering their next set of wheels. Instead, the Tesla has a few more intriguing and evenly matched rivals; most notably the £65,100 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, and the less extreme, £50,995 MG IM6 Performance. The American brand’s outrageous acceleration figures alone are often enough to convince buyers, yet a driver’s car…

OVER the past six months, the Vauxhall Grandland has been strutting about like a celebrity with its shimmering paintwork and Blackpool Illuminations-style badging. For its send-off, it needed to be joined by something equally, if not more glamorous. Cue the top-spec Grandland Ultimate… oh, and my partner, Victoria, was there, too. You might notice that both our GS longtermer and the Ultimate are specified in Impact Copper; Specsavers’ stock price likely soared over the past week as our neighbours raced to get their eyes tested, convinced they were seeing double while the two cars were parked next to each other on our driveway. However, such a coincidence is the perfect way to illustrate the similarities and differences between the two, and work out whether it’s worth spending the extra –…

WE all enjoy the feeling when we stand back and look at a freshly cleaned car, but do you ever look at the driveway underneath it? Once you have driven away from your usual spot, you might find there is a ring of grime and algae where your car was parked. If you have a classic vehicle or do DIY servicing, you are likely to find the occasional oil stain too. Which means it is time to give your driveway a valet. A couple of hours with a hose, brush and a dedicated cleaner will have it looking loved once again. In our last big test, we gave the top prize to Scrubb’s Driveway & Patio Cleaner for its combination of cleaning power and value. It faces a challenge here…